Lyons Fire Department Seeks Community Input (phone meeting)
Lyons Fire Department Seeks Community Input at a Telephone Town Hall on March 8th at 6:30 PM
On December 30, 2021, we watched in horror and deep sadness at what happened to a community roughly 25 miles south of us. The Marshall Fire was a wake-up call to our communities and the ones surrounding us. I’m proud to say the Lyons Fire Protection District helped provide firefighter support and apparatus to our neighbors in the midst of the emergency.
We’ve been asked many times since the Marshall Fire if something like that could happen in our community. I wish I could deny it, but the reality is two-sided: Colorado is getting drier and without the proper mitigation practices, more wildfires can start. Our department saw a 43% increase in wildfire calls from 2020 to 2021 – which is startling. On the other hand, our community is not nearly as densely populated, so the likelihood of seeing as much devastation as the Marshall fire is not as great. Regardless, we know that as our community continues to grow, the demand for our services will grow as well. With this as a backdrop, and as part of our continued commitment to being good stewards of our community, we know there is more we can do to protect our community from potential threats and devastation.
Over the course of the past year, our department has been working to address issues such as: updating old equipment, performing maintenance on all fire apparatus, authorizing new equipment to help fight current and wildfire calls, increasing training for both paid and volunteer firefighters, and expanding our recruiting efforts to combat staffing challenges. We have done all of this, all while keeping within our approved budget and remaining transparent about where we spend your tax dollars.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we’re finding that we’re doing more with less and it’s simply not enough. While the actions taken in 2021 certainly helped to stop issues from growing, call volumes rose over the course of the last two years. They were up 8% from 2020, and 10% from 2019, in part, to an increase in both population and wildfires. As we have seen this increase in calls, we have also had challenges staffing our nighttime shifts due to limited availability from our volunteer firefighters.
After a full analysis, Lyons Fire District has identified five significant issues that remain and should be addressed soon. We need to increase manpower to ensure the appropriate number of firefighters can respond to a call. We also need to improve response times for Advance Life Support calls (urgent treatment for cardiac and other serious emergencies). We need to implement critical wildland fire mitigation measures to reduce the risk of wildfires in our community. Additionally, we need to upgrade Advance Life Support capabilities related to transporting people in need of critical care. Lastly, we need to replace a 27-year-old engine that is still in service.
The reality is with current constraints we are at risk of seeing increased response times, stressed personnel, and strained resources. This is where our community comes in. While these issues may seem overwhelming, we are stronger together and we want you to help us – help you. Our commitment is, and always will be, “Our Family Helping Your Family”.
As the Fire Chief of the Lyons Fire District, I want to hear your feedback firsthand. I will be hosting a community Telephone Town Hall on March 8, 2022 at 6:30PM. The dial-in number for this Telephone Town Hall is 877-229-8493 and the access code is 117409. Additional details about the Telephone Town Hall, including how to register and information about what the Fire District has accomplished, current issues, and pressing concerns can be found on our website: https://www.lyonsfire.org/.
At this Telephone Town Hall, I plan to review these items in more detail and take questions from community members. Our desire is to have open and honest dialogue, to gather feedback on how we can best address these concerns together, and to ensure our wonderful community is even safer than it is now. Should you have any questions prior to March 8, 2022, call 303-823-6611. I hope you will attend and help us spread the word about this important event.
We are stronger together, Lyons.
……………Peter A Zick, Fire Chief, Lyons Fire District
